The effect of eWOM on consumer purchase intention and mediating role of brand equity: a study of apparel brands

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how electronic word of mouth (eWOM) affects purchase intention and brand equity, and to further examine the mediating role of brand equity between eWOM and purchase intention among Indian consumers of branded apparel. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from 303 consumers of branded apparel using an online questionnaire, and data were analyzed through structural equation modeling with the help of SPSS v24 and AMOS v23. Findings The findings of this study demonstrated that eWOM has a positive and significant influence on brand equity and purchase intention. Simultaneously, brand equity partially mediates between the eWOM and purchase intention of consumers of apparel brands. Research limitations/implications The study's data set is limited in its generalizability as it is based on specific responses from Indian consumers of branded apparel via an online survey. The results of this study would help marketing practitioners and apparel manufacturers to augment their sales and design their promotional strategy in accordance with consumers' traits. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to propose an integrative model that studies relationships between eWOM, brand equity and purchase intention by incorporating the Elaboration Likelihood Model among Indian consumers of branded apparel. Furthermore, this novel piece of research explores the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention with brand equity as a mediator, particularly for branded apparel selected by Indian consumers.